Beaker 1800 - 1815

This elegant beaker was made of porcelain, decorated, and gilded, probably in England. It’s a good example of an aesthetic that prized surface decoration. Look at the way the white porcelain is covered with an array of floral and faunal motifs. These are rendered using enamel paints, which are fused to the surface in a kiln. The porcelain itself would have been industrially produced, and here the social context of the work comes into focus. What was once an extremely rare luxury, porcelain was gradually becoming accessible to the middle classes. Decoration such as this was effectively outsourced, becoming a specialized trade. The process therefore embodies the shift toward globalized production that characterized the period. The hand-painted motifs lend the beaker a personal touch, but it is an open question whether that overrides its essential status as a manufactured object. By considering the materials, making, and context, we can appreciate how this beaker blurs the boundaries between fine art and craft.